Here to Stay
by Cattie V
Summary: When Graham awakes in the forest, he sets out to find the one person he cares about the most: Emma


**Disclaimer: **_**Once Upon A Time **_**and its characters belong to the ABC. I don't own either one…which is so unfair!**

**Author's note: So it suddenly occurred to me that all the Graham/Emma reunion fanfics I've heard are from Emma's POV and that I'd yet to come across one from Graham's. Sooooo…I decided to write one and here it is! Hope you enjoy it!**

Graham's eyes flew open and he desperately gasped for air. His entire body shook as he tried to breathe. It took several moments before he could get control of his lungs and breathe normally. For a few minutes, he could only focus on breathing in and breathing out.

Finally, other thoughts began to race through his head. Where was he? How did he get here? The last thing he remembered…it took a few seconds but eventually it all came rushing back to him. He remembered falling to the ground. He remembered the sound of Emma shouting his name again and again. He remembered vaguely making out the sound of her desperation. And then there had been nothing.

Graham shivered as he realized that he had actually died. But how? He recalled the intense pain he had felt in his chest before hitting the floor. It was a pain he had felt once before…long ago when Regina had held his heart in her hands…and she had squeezed it. _Regina._ He knew she had killed him.

He rose unsteadily to his feet, but nearly fell back down. He was weak and shaking and he felt lightheaded. He shivered and realized that he was freezing cold…and that he was also starving. He crossed his arms to try and warm himself.

As shocking as the revelation was that he had died, it was nothing compared to the knowledge that he was suddenly (and unexplainably) alive. How had that happened? How had he come back?

He tried to move to take a step and he felt something snap under his foot. For the first time, he looked around and realized that he was in the forest. What was he doing there? _Add that to the list of mysteries,_ he thought.

Graham decided to figure out all this later. Right now he was freezing and starving. He had to get somewhere warm and get something to eat.

Suddenly, he caught the sound of something moving in the underbrush. He took a deep breath, then a wolf appeared in front of him. A white wolf…with eyes that were two different colors. Graham let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Hey." The wolf came up to him and Graham gently began to stroke its fur. "I never thought I'd see you again."

The wolf turned and began to walk away, but then it turned and looked back at him. Graham knew that look. The wolf wanted him to follow it. Graham nodded to show that he understood and the wolf walked off with Graham following close behind.

As they walked, Graham couldn't stop his mind from wandering. He of course wondered about how he had come back, but mostly he found himself thinking of Emma. She had been there when he died. He could still feel the tingle of that last kiss on his lips. How was she? How much had his death affected her? Had she stayed around? Or had his death been the last straw to drive her away? Did she know how much he cared about her?

These thoughts kept him occupied and he was greatly surprised when they arrived at the edge of town. Graham looked up at the sky. It was getting dark, and it was starting to rain slightly. He shivered again with the cold.

Now that he was back in Storybrooke, Graham wasn't sure where to go. He guessed everyone would be indoors. Should he go to the office? He decided against it. He decided to head to Mary Margaret's (_Snow White,_ he reminded himself) instead. If Emma was still in town, that's where'd she be…and if she wasn't Mary Margaret would help him.

He was grateful for the slight rain and the darkness, for it prevented anyone from spotting him. He didn't want to alert the whole town to his presence (especially to Regina) until he had had a chance to see Emma.

It didn't take him long to arrive at the building where she was staying with Mary Margaret. He opened the front door (which was thankfully unlocked) and then headed up the stairs to their room. He stopped short when he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Then he caught the sound of laughter.

"…I still can't believe you never noticed that no one was getting any older." _Emma._ Graham smiled as he listened to her voice.

"That was part of the curse, Emma." _Mary Margaret. _"But now that's its broken…" _The curse is broken?_ Graham's smile grew. At least now he wasn't the only one aware of Regina's treachery.

"It told you you were the only one who could brake it. And you did!" _Henry._ _Wait….Emma broke the curse?_

"What I still don't understand," came the voice of Prince Charming, "is how you broke it exactly."

"Well," said Emma, "just kissed Henry on the forehead and told him I loved him. Then he woke up and the curse was broken. The blue fairy said it was true love's kiss that did it."

_True love's kiss?_ Graham's head spun. Is that why his memories had come back when he and Emma had kissed? He certainly hoped so. He couldn't imagine living life without Emma.

"For a few minutes everything was perfect," Snow sighed. "Then Mr. Gold…excuse me, Rumplestiltskin had to go and bring magic to Storybrooke." Graham blinked. Magic? In Storybrooke? Is that how he had come back?

"Yeah," Emma agreed, she sounded uncomfortable. "Now who knows what might happen?" Graham figured now would be the best time to reveal himself. He gently pushed the door all the way open and stepped inside. A pleasant sight met his eyes. Emma was seated at the table with Henry on her lap. Her mother was on her left with Charming next to his wife and his arm was draped around her. Snow's head was on his shoulder. They were all so busy looking at each other, that no one noticed him.

Graham waited wondering who would spot him first. It was Henry. The young boy had just turned to say something to his mother, when he caught sight of Graham out of the corner of his eye. He whipped his head around and he started at Graham, his mouth open in shock.

Graham just smiled at him. That broke the silence. "Graham!" Henry shouted. The other three adults turned. He knew they must all be just as shocked to see him as Henry, but from the moment she saw him, Graham had eyes only for Emma.

He smiled and Henry slid down from her lap. Emma slowly stood. She grabbed the back of her chair, like she was afraid that she was going to faint. No one spoke or moved for several long seconds.

It was Snow that finally broke the silence. "Henry, Charming. Why don't we give them some time alone?" No one objected. Charming followed Snow out the door. Henry turned to follow them but quickly turned back and threw his arms around Graham's waist, catching him off balance.

"I'm so glad you're alive!" Before Graham could respond, Henry's broke away from him and was out the door right behind his grandparents. Graham watched him go then his eyes flickered back to Emma, who hadn't moved or said anything.

Graham decided not to break the silence, but to let her speak first. A minute passed. Then two. Finally Emma said, "Graham?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. He simply nodded in reply. "You…you were dead…I saw you…"

He nodded again. "I know. I remember that."

"But how…?"

"I don't know. I just woke up in the forest and followed my wolf back to town and came here. I overheard you speaking about the curse being broken and Rumplestiltskin bringing magic to Storybrooke and I thought that maybe…"

He didn't get to finish. While he had been speaking, Emma had moved away from the table and through her arms around him and before Graham knew what was happening, her mouth found his.

Pleasantly surprised, Graham responded to her kiss with as much passion as she had start it with. After a few moments they broke apart, but Emma kept her arms around him. Emma buried her head on his shoulder as she began to cry. "Hey," he said gently, his arms holding her close. "It's alright."

"I thought…I thought I lost you…forever," she sobbed. Graham nodded.

"I know," he said. "I know, but I'm back now. And I'm not going anywhere."

**Author's Note: Please, please, review! If I get enough reviews I might just write another chapter!**


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